A Time Unknown
by Slidell
Summary: Sequel to It's Too Soon to Tell. Full summary within. S/Jish.
1. Chapter 1

**A Time Unknown **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or the characters. This is purely an outlet for the imagination and I hope that you will enjoy it. **

**Summary: Sequel to **_**It's Too Soon to Tell (The Future Not Foretold)**_**. You should read **_**It's Too Soon to Tell **_**before you read this story or it really won't make much sense and you may want to read the prequel, **_**The Future Not Foretold**_** as well but that one is not required reading :)**** . But I promise you **_**TFNF**_** is a good mystery if I do say so myself, and there is S/J in a rather unexpected way.**

**So if you've caught up with this story line…**

**This is the story of Danni O'Neill that directly follows **_**It's Too Soon to Tell**_**, and it covers the years of her life on Atlantis. **

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Prologue

"This is nuts. Crazy. Insane…Unfathomable…Three fries short of…Holy crap I'm turning into my father." Danni threw her hands up and clasped her face. This was not something she had envisioned. This was not a place she had ever felt the need to be. This wasn't her life. Well, at least once upon a time it wasn't.

She took another glance at the set of doors that had just sealed in front of her, her parents on the other side. Well, sort of her parents. It was the 'sort of' that added to the impossibility of her situation. Turning around she examined the room. She knew it, yes. It was a place she had inhabited for the better part of five months or more, but nonetheless it was different now. Now that she knew who she was. Now that Lizzie was gone.

Captain Grace Danielle O'Neill: former member of SG-1, expert flight skills, two doctorates, a family tree that would one day go down in history (if it was ever made public), and holder of the genetic lottery if there ever was one. There was only one problem. She couldn't be that person anymore. She had given it all up. For the next twenty plus years, if she lived that long, she was going to have to keep the majority of that information to herself.

At least she had her family. For another week.

Sam Carter and Jack O'Neill were on their way home to start their new life. With their daughter to be, still well protected within her mother. Danni bit her lip at the image. How she could be jealous of herself she didn't know. But somehow that baby growing in Sam made her feel a bitter resentment towards her own youth. She had never taken anything for granted, that was something you learned in Jack's house. But now, looking back on it all, she wished she had just held her tongue once more, or smiled a little longer, or given that extra hug. Images flashed in her mind. The unborn child's future. Her past. And now here she was, living in a time when she shouldn't exist because she had already lived in it a million light years away on Earth. Never knowing. Never the wiser. Two Danni O'Neill's, one time line, one messed up way to restart one's life.

But that's what she needed. Danni _needed_ a new beginning. After the past two years, that she was doing a good job of repressing at the moment, she needed a change. She knew the moment that she remembered it, there was no going back from the things she had seen, and worse, the things she had done. All for the sake of the future that she may never see anew.

The enormity of her thoughts consumed her and Danni let out a loud breath, lips fluttering on the end. She wandered around the room, filled with a few crates. More would be beamed in as soon as the Apollo returned. The young woman smiled as she remembered the shopping trip with her mother and Vala. Their first with her. Her last with them. Things seemed normal that day, except when Danni remembered why they were there. They were replacing her life, as far as physical possessions were concerned.

The only truly familiar object in her room was the box that held her own private memories. It sat atop her dresser and she walked towards it, rubbing her fingertips gently over it. Opening it now would only make things worse. She tore the top drawer open and threw it in angrily; slamming the drawer shut for good measure.

"That's not my life." She growled, and then glanced back up to the reflection in the mirror that sat on the squat dresser. "This is your life now. You chose it." She let out a pathetic solitary laugh. "And what have you got to show for it?"

In some odd way she received a reply. A knock at the door.

"Who in the…" She pinched her cheeks for good measure and sauntered to the door. Perhaps her parents had forgotten to tell her something.

She ran her hand over the controls and was shocked at what she found when she peered back to the entrance. Not one, but to familiar male faces.

"Rodney? John?" Her eyes gave a small glimmer at the sight of the second man and a bit of her foul mood lifted. So much so that a curious smile grew on her face. "What are you guys doing here this late?"

"Well…We're uh…" Rodney's big goofy grin only mad her own smile widen as he twirled his hands in the air to gather his thoughts. McKay excitment was always a thing of amusement.

"We've been waiting for your parents to leave so you could sneak out." John interrupted.

"Sneak out for what?"

"A _house _warming, welcome home, welcome the neighborhood kind of party." He continued.

Danni sucked in some air as she thought it over. "So…you realize I'm twenty-si…four, and that I can go out if I want, right?" She mocked them both as her fists found her hips. They were up to something, she could tell. Her parents were probably in on it too, but still.

"Well yeah…but." Rodney started. "I mean…there'll be…" He stuttered for a moment.

"Beer?"

"Well yeah…"

"Thank God!" Danni pushed out her door and past the two men all in one large step. "So where's the party?" She clapped her hands and smiled.

Both men looked completely bemused as she continued to give them a wry smile and hook her arms around each of their elbows. Rodney finally pointed the direction they were to head in.

"Shall we?" She giggled.

And with that they were off. Things were brighter for Danni when she was with them. All of them. But she knew that the light would grow dimmer over the time. She knew that one day she wouldn't be able to hide her unknown past anymore. But for tonight, she was going to push the bad aside, she was going to live.


	2. Tears Shall Quench Our Thirst

**Tears Shall Quench Our Thirst **

_The crunch beneath her feet was the first thing that led her to remember that she was alive. The second was the pain. Danni's breath hissed between her teeth as she opened her eyes, her head still hung low. The ground was dry, covered in pebbles of gray and sienna. Her boots were covered in dust as they stretched up to her knees. The dress she had been wearing was so tattered that there was little left of the lower half, just enough for modesty. Of course modesty was the last thing on her mind. Death was the first. It would have been a nice release from the pain. Her left hand traveled slowly up her side until it met a sticky and caked area of her torso. She winced. The blade had dug deep, so deep. She was so weak that it refused to heal any further. The wound wasn't going to kill her outright, but it wasn't going to make her journey any easier. The Stargate was at least twenty miles away. And she was so very alone. At least she hoped she was. If anyone followed orders she would be. _

_She breathed again, and looked up. Her ears honed in on what she needed. Water. A fools dream, but she could hear it, bubbling over stones, and not too far away. Danni pushed forward. Water, and then the 'gate. _

_It seemed like ages, so far, so very far, but the air changed and the babbling was suddenly less than a dream. A few steps more and Danni's feet were cold. A fresh spring created the creek that she now stood in. So distracted, weak and tired that she hadn't even realized she was in it. So much for Special Forces training. Danni's knees gave out and she splashed down into the cool water which barely made it to her navel. She cupped her hands and drank, the water was clean enough. She let the first few handfuls go down slowly, and then pitched herself forward, immersing her face into the blessing and drinking until she felt ill. It didn't take long. She reared back, gasping for breath, hair plastered around her face and neck. She began to pull it back and away from her face. It was then that she noticed the water as it began to change. The crystalline flow was now being tainted with a pinkish hue. Danni rolled her eyes and looked towards her wound once more, but it was no longer bleeding. Her eyes darted once more to the water; the pink was interlaced with sharp strings of vibrant red, coming from upstream. _

_Danni heaved herself to her feet, stumbling slightly, before she began to trudge towards the source. Five steps, then ten, and when she passed the rushes she saw it, or better yet, him. _

_She gasped a name. "Perseus." All physical pain ended, and that of emotion took over. "Perseus!" Danni ran towards the motionless mound that lay halfway in the water and halfway out. Her sudden haste caused her to trip, and her hands were quickly tattered as they hit the rocky bottom of the stream, but he was so close that she continued on all fours, splashing loudly. "Perseus…" It was just a whisper as she pulled the man's form over. He was breathing and she sighed in relief. It was to be short lived. _

_His eyes opened but they were clouded. The sight of his face, once so fair now made her swallow back as his lips parted. "Athena…" _

_"Shh…shhh…" Her fingers ran over his face, gently stroking his hair away. "It's okay…why didn't you go to the 'gate?" _

_His stare became more distant and confused. And it was then that Danni remembered. Her language was so different than his, and she had to reprimand her native tongue and repeat the sentiment in the ancient dialect. _

_"I had to…the eye…" He explained._

_Danni pulled him closer, cradling the man's form. Her eyes glowed but a flicker as she tried in vain to heal him. It was useless, even if she hadn't been so weakened, his wounds would have required more than she was capable of. He was so much bigger than her, like all her warriors, but in his shattered state it was like holding a child. She could feel his breath, his heartbeat, his life, slowly draining away. "I told you to leave it…it's…it doesn't matter." She sucked back a sniffle, trying desperately to hold her composure. _

_"My lady…" His hand reached her face and slowly slid down her cheek, catching her collarbone as he drew it back to his tunic. "For you…" He reached into a small pocket and griped something in his fist. "For you my lady, it matters…You…who set us free…" His fist opened to reveal a small purple jewel, the almond shape of an eye, which seemed to burst with light from within. _

_"Perseus…" She shook her head as she quickly placed the gem within her own garb. "I'm going to take you home…" Panic was in her voice. She hurriedly began to grasp his arms, but both his hands suddenly clutched her face._

_"They call you Grace." His use for this name was in his own language, but the term for grace was easily recognized. Danni knew not how to respond, and so she nodded slowly as his palms still cupped her pallid face. _

_"Yes."_

_"Tell me my lady…is that whom you truly are?"_

_"It's one name of many, Perseus. And I swear I'll tell you all about each and every one of them, after we get back…"_

_"Many thought you lied. Before. When you said you were not a goddess. Even I was one to believe them for a time…"_

_"I am NO goddess…"_

_"No." He stopped her before she finished. "You are not." He smiled and stroked her face once more, capturing a falling tear with his thumb. "Because a goddess would not trouble herself to tears over one man."_

_Danni's breath caught in her throat as his hand slipped back into the frigid water. _

_"Perseus…" She whispered. Then she shook him. "Perseus!" And then more tears fell as she wept over another who had fallen. _

* * *

"Hey, whatcha thinking about?"

Danni shook herself back to the present. "Huh?" Ronon was staring at her in his own inquisitive way. "Oh, nothing…just…you guys sure went to a lot of trouble." The room was as decorated as he could have imagined, and the many smiling faces made up for what was lacked.

"What, this?" Ronon shrugged his shoulders with great exaggeration. "It wasn't much. You know McKay works his geeks to the bone, so say party and…"

Danni giggled. "Did you just say 'geek'?"

"Yeah…" Her giggles cut him off again. "What?" Ronon questioned.

"It's just…it's funny to hear the terms that we…_Earthlings_…if you will, tend to pass on."

Ronon smiled and cocked his head to the side. "Yeah…well. You guys tend to have an affect on people. Some more than others." He saw her wince, a painful memory he assumed and so he let it go. He had been a Runner. What had she been?

"So Ronon... any good drinking games where you're from?" Her smirk quickly drew them back to the raucous room.

* * *

His daughter was not letting him get any sleep tonight. Not one wink at all. Jack walked the hallways of Atlantis…wondering where exactly a party might be held on a frontline military outpost…civilian…he reminded himself…civilian run. He couldn't place exactly why he was up. Half was from the small nudging kicks from Sam's stomach, that was _Little D_…and half from the gnawing and nagging voices in his head telling him that something may not be right with Danni, the daughter he had unquestioning love for without so much as having told her a bedtime story. He had to know, even if only from a distance.

After what seemed like an entire night's worth of walking to a bad knee, Jack finally heard the merriment, or better yet boisterous mayhem, of a party. A few tired bodies made their way mindlessly away from the room the noise now flowed from and he knew he was in the right place. Scientists, Jack scoffed, always the first to fall. But he suddenly found himself hoping that Danni was more the scientist when it came to such festivities. Surely she wouldn't be like him in his younger years. Surely.

* * *

A peel of laughter broke the air as a shot glass shattered on the floor. "Easy McKay…not sure the Pentagon is going to splurge on new glassware if you keep breaking those things." Sheppard's voice filtered through the cacophony of others.

Rodney gave a small hiccup. "Sorry…got distracted."

John smirked in return and both men turned their gaze back to the table that had been set up in the middle of the room, and which was now surrounded by a great number of onlookers.

"Nun-uh!" A girlie whine piped up.

"That is so you!"

"Ronon, that's cheating! You can't change the rules…"

"You looked away!"

"No I didn't!"

"Yes, you did…"

"Judges!?" Danni laughed and let out a small hiccup at the same time. "Where _are_ the judges?"

"Sheppard, McKay? Would one of you guys please tell the _lady_ that she looked away?" The goofy smile on Ronon's face was not the only evidence to his inebriation.

"Sorry Ronon, we uh…weren't exactly looking that time."

Danni pushed back in her chair with her arms crossed and a snide smile. "See, told ya."

"You two are always going to side with her aren't you?"

"It's 'cause I'm prettier." Danni cooed.

John held back a grin.

Rodney looked up. "Ronon, don't worry, we think you're pretty too."

The room began to vibrate from the laughter.

"Okay, okay…we'll call that one a tie." Two shot glasses appeared and Ronon and Danni toasted each other before knocking them back. Ronon celebrated with a belch and Danni wrinkled her nose in response.

"Okay Chewie, hand me the knife!"

"Whoa!" The exclamation was low in tone, but close enough for a scare.

John turned startled to his left. "General?"

"Sheppard. Not exactly holding up our end of the bargain are we?"

"Sir?"

"I thought I made it clear during out little discussion the other day that for her to stay _here_, YOU were going to have to keep her safe…"

"Yes, Sir…but I mean…it's just a party to lighten the…"

Jack's raised brow cut him off. "What kind of party involves a knife?"

"Satedan drinking game, Sir." John managed an unconvincing smile. "Actually, Sir, Danni's winning…so…"

"So…"

John winced. "So maybe we should call it a night while she's ahead?"

Jack nodded. First, possibly second, act as an overprotective father had now been dealt. He turned to leave after one more quick glance at the table. She looked happy. "Sheppard?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"Just make sure she's home before dawn."

John breathed a small sigh of relief. "Yes, Sir."

* * *

Colonel Sheppard studied the small feet dangling, better yet dancing, before him as he walked the corridors of Atlantis, the sun beginning to twinkle through the stained glass. Danni had been complacent, but her legs hadn't quite been able to hold her up, and seeing as the General could be up at any time to see if he had gotten her back to her quarters safely, John figured carrying her over his shoulder would be the most proficient method.

"You have a nice butt." The voice was slightly slurred but matter-of-fact.

Sheppard's eyes popped open wider than saucers. "What?"

"Never seen it quite so close before…Actually…_why_ am I seeing it so close…?"

"Umm…you uh…needed some help getting up."

"Oh yeah…so who's carrying Ronon?"

John laughed. "Ronon is going to be sleeping his wild night off where it ended."

"Sissy."

"Compared to you…yes ma'am."

"I told you I could take him…." Danni yawned loudly, and John could feel her arms fold up under her head as she tried to get more comfortable. "_The mountains shall bleed…and our loves shall one day die…but..." _Her melody stopped for a moment as she searched for the words. "_…tears shall quench our thirst…when we reach the morning's side…"_

"What's that?"

"Huh?"

They had reached her door, and John waved the first hand he could free as quickly as he could to open it. "Whatcha singing back there?"

"War song…English version…Perseus sang it to me…helped me sleep…" She yawned once more as he flipped her, gently as possible, off his shoulder and onto her bed. He pulled off her shoes one by one as he kept her talking.

"Who is this Perseus?" Was that jealousy in his tone? No…shouldn't be.

"Commander…one of my legions…died…"

"How?" It was out before he could correct himself. Of course the idea of Danni having not just one but plural legions was just as mind boggling.

"In my arms…"

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**A/N: Thanks for reading!! As you can tell it's going to be two stories wrapped into one like last time. Hope you're enjoying! **

**PLEASE REVIEW :D**


	3. Tested

**Tested**

When Danni finally awoke the sun was pouring in through the stained windows of her new room. Her new home. Atlantis.

The light was anything but beautiful. Nothing is beautiful when you have a hangover. Her head pounded. So much for an inhumanly fast metabolism. It only produced what Danni assumed had to be the most intense pressure headache imaginable. She let out an involuntary moan.

"Of all the things to forget…" She muttered. Then she searched out a clock; some viable reference for time, and it was then that she realized all of the boxes that had accumulated in the once wide open space that was her room were bombarding her with a clutter that needed to be explored. Somewhere in there was an alarm clock. But she didn't need an alarm clock to remember the day. Or the night before…of course that was fuzzy at this point. Somewhere around the time her peripheral vision began to fail and a dark shadow replaced her eyelids like something out of a Tim Burton film her memories of the night began to go a bit askew.

The day. Today.

"Shi…" She sat up too soon. That was all it took. The room bowed down to her and her stomach rose. Amazingly when she leaned back over the side of the bed to avoid laundry, she lost the party remains in a wastepaper basket, expertly placed a few inches from the bed skirt. A small, but bitter tasting, smirk grew. Ten guesses as to who had left that there, but she only needed one.

Danni gave herself another moment to determine whether movement was acceptable, and then made it to her washroom to brush her teeth for ten minutes straight. If anything the mint flavor helped to calm her stomach. The pounding though, that was going to take a bit longer. Going to the infirmary to get something for a hangover was less than a professional start. She knew better. Besides she had an appointment.

* * *

"Well good morning sunshine. Long night? You know…I was wondering if you were going to show up…"

"Would you prefer I never left the office?" Danni replied rhetorically. _Oh yeah, smart mouth Dad, he's leaving…forever…real nice, Genius. _Danni bit her lip. "Long night. Sorry." Then she pointed to her head. "But don't worry, it's not a habit or anything."

Jack nodded slowly. "Hope not." Then he grinned. "So, ready for your first examination?"

"It helps to know what the test is in order to prepare for it." She reminded him. He had already refused to tell her for some time. "Although, seeing as we are in the commissary, I'm assuming breakfast is involved…please."

"No such luck." A voice flittered in. "And consider it a pop quiz."

"Mom?" Danni turned inquisitively. Sam had tested her math, science, and other technological skills already. Not that they needed much work. Flying colors were an understatement. Danni's glance turned towards Sam's belly. "So…how are you…we…doing?"

Sam patted her distention with both hands. "Good. Calm down sweetheart."

Danni just nodded. "Yes, ma'am." Somehow the sight of her mother pregnant was unsettling. She may have been Jack's second child, but she was Sam's only.

"Ready?" Jack was looking at his wife. Their daughter was looking at them both. Then a light took them.

"Oh…crap…" Danni's stomach flipped as soon as she rematerialized, and she pitched forward. Dry heaves followed.

"Good thing we skipped breakfast, huh?" Jack mocked, all the while happy that her stomach had been empty. Her aim would have made his shoes very unhappy had it been the other way around.

"Did I mention you go bald?" Danni replied casually. Jack's eyes reached a sufficient width before a grin cracked on her face.

"You play dirty." Sam giggled.

"Got it from you, my dear mother." Danni breathed in some fresh hanger air. "This looks…familiar…enough."

"Test number one. Flight. Puddle Jumper doesn't count, that's too easy, all you need is a gene and the brain. We want to see your technical maneuvering skills in something a bit more…rudimentary." Jack indicated the 302 behind him.

A cocky grin replied. "Who's my co-pilot?"

Jack smiled full force. "That would be your examiner." And with that he adjusted his jacket collar.

"This is gonna be good."

"Hurry up and get your flight suits on." Sam waved them away.

A few minutes later they were both back and being strapped in. "Watch those hands airman." Danni warned.

The young man had not meant to get so close, but tight spaces what they were, his fingers had lingered a little too long on Danni's leg for her liking. He rose quickly and looked away with an apologetic fumbling smile towards the elder O'Neill who was giving him the raised and un-amused brow.

"Don't look at him." Came a somewhat prissy tone. "I'm right here." She controlled a flash brewing in her eyes. She wasn't supposed to do that anymore, but the urge remained and she looked away before she could fail herself. "That will be all airman." She looked up. "Thank you." And she meant it. She was going to have to learn to control her temper; otherwise it could cause a hell of a lot of damage. It had been seen before, thousands of years in the past.

"Please tell me you talk to all the boys like that." Jack quipped as the canopy lowered.

Danni grinned to herself. "Probably not as much as you'd like, of course some seem to like it."

Jack let out a small cough. "Okay then." And with that he called in their readiness.

Half an hour later they were all beamed back to the Atlantis base. Jack's eyes had yet to readjust to the bright lighting and he scrubbed them over with his knuckles.

"Like riding a bike." Danni giggled.

"Some bike." Jack shook his head and turned towards Sam. "Flies just like her old man." Jack grinned with a hint of smugness.

Sam gave a tightlipped smile in return to his remark. "Can't say there's anything wrong with that."

Danni wrenched her head back. "Well I can." She looked a bit bewildered, but Jack and Sam were both beginning to learn her facial expressions. Just like when she had been the mute and lost girl, her face spoke volumes more than her voice ever would. "I fly _way_ better than Dad." Danni rolled her eyes for emphasis. Sam snorted. Jack bit his tongue. They all laughed.

* * *

"I'm just not sure I want you guys to see this."

"Why not? You've been practicing since we found you…" There was a solemn pause. "Actually…you stopped, once you remembered…but still we've…"

Danni stood with staunch opposition in the semi-quiet training room. "You've seen _Lizzie_ practice, and you've seen Lizzie in action. I don't want you to see _me_."

"Well, it's the same thing. That was still you."

"No it isn't, and no it never was. What you saw was reactions, kinesthetic reactions. That wasn't me fighting. That was a girl who didn't know where she had learned that stuff, and she didn't remember having used it. I know where it came from, and I will never forget using it. At least not again." Danni turned around to face another part of her family that she hadn't known nearly as long. "And for those of you who came for a show, you can leave."

Her friends looked at her strangely. She had never intentionally been rude towards them like that before. But this was a blatant coldness; a demeanor that struck them all the wrong way. What was it that she was holding back from? Teyla seemed to understand more than anyone that in the very least it would be best to respect her wishes, and she led Rodney out by his elbow. The others would surely follow, especially after the parting look she shot at them.

"Look, D, I don't know what this is about…and if you'd rather we talk later, that's fine." Jack gave a small smile, but one that still showed his confusion. "But you still have to pass the test, it's a requirement. I know, we know, everyone knows that you're capable, but if this is all going to get worked out, you have to jump through a few more hoops."

Danni huffed and sighed, then took a hagerred step forward, bowing her head in to close the distance of her whisper. "Do you have to be here for this one?" Her gaze was a silent plea.

"I…" Jack turned to Sam and shrugged. "Well a superior officer has to, I don't think that means me per say. If you want your mom to…"

"NO!" Danni gritted her teeth. "I don't want either of you to do it." She shifted her footing. "Please."

Two sets of wide eyes stared back.

It was another voice that cut in this time. One of two who hadn't gotten the hint to evacuate. "I don't mean to interrupt, but if you'd like, I can be the observer…on this one."

The O'Neill family turned towards the doorway where two brave souls had dared to linger. One only by lack of choice; Ronon stood silently waiting to play his part as Danni's spar partner. But John had stayed to see exactly what was causing the disturbance between the family members.

Jack sighed this time and Sam spoke up. "If you're sure, John. We'll want a full report. This is going to the highest ups. No bias, and don't leave anything out."

John shrugged it off as his gaze caught Danni's. There was a thank you in her eyes and he gave a slight nod to her as well. "Not a problem. This shouldn't take long anyway."

Danni gave a meager smile in return. "Thanks."

Jack and Sam exchanged one of their patented conversations via their eyes, and then nodded their way out.

Danni walked over to the bench to get herself put together, and pick out weapons. She slowed her progression with the tape around her fingers when she heard his footsteps approach.

"So, what was that about?" Sheppard was leaned in closer than he needed to be. Ronon was too far away and in his own state of mental preparation to be able to hear them.

Danni looked into his face for a brief second, then back to her hands which she began to tend to with great haste before she replied. "I don't want them to see me like I get…it's not always pretty."

"I've…we've seen you at work Danni, it's pretty amazing. I don't know why you suddenly feel self-conscious about it."

"I don't feel self-conscious. I just don't want them going home and be thinking about me growing up to be…this…"

* * *

Ronon strode in, a slight limp that hadn't been seen before. But it was the gash over his cheek that drew the most attention.

"Stop pouting. It wasn't exactly a fair fight." A female voice called from the hallway.

Jack was already up from his seat, the spar session had lasted far longer than anticipated. Sam had given up on quickly standing a few weeks before and chose to observe from a seated, albeit observant, position.

Ronon grunted and walked across the room. Danni and John entered rather simultaneously after him, almost getting stuck in the smaller doorway.

"Ronon, she warned you." Sheppard reminded him.

"Well she said she would be weaker." The large man pointed, and in doing so set off an indignant glare from Danni.

"I _was_." She growled.

Jack raised his hands and stepped between them. "Okay kids, play nice. Sheppard, what's going on?"

"Captain O'Neill passed…and then some. Ronon here's just a little upset at the 'then some'."

"I still say she cheated the second time." Ronon grunted.

Danni walked forward and around Jack's side. She pitched her head forward slightly and let lose the glowing fury within. "They say third time's a charm, wanna try?" She taunted.

"Ack!" Jack grabbed Danni's arm before she could take another step and she swung her gaze at him. "Don't you glow your eyes at me young lady." The blue faded to brown.

"Second time?" Sam asked before indicating that Danni should come sit by her.

"I broke his arm…" Danni shrugged.

"You what?" Sam replied wide-eyed.

Danni's voice went up an octave as she sat. "I fixed it!" She gestured over. "I did my thing, then took a power nap, which is why we took so long by the way, then Macho Man wanted another go and I kicked his ass. Again!" The last few words were directed at Ronon who rolled his eyes.

Sam shook her head and patted Danni on hers.

"Sounds like a pass plus to me." Jack smirked. Ronon left for the infirmary, Sheppard prodding him with ill timed humor the whole way.

"Are we done then?"

Sam turned to Danni. "You're done. All tests passed." She smiled sadly. "What do you say we spend what time we've got left doing something else?"

The young woman smiled and leaned forward to hold her mother.


	4. Abandoned

**Abandoned **

_The smallest echo filled the great marble sanctuary. A small patter, a dripping of something thicker than water. But the constant _splat-thack _against the stone floor was soon muffled by the hurried clacking of shoes and a shallow breath of someone on the brink of screaming. _

_Danni had searched every room in the fortress and found not a soul of her team who should have been there. Paulson, Lewis and Nick were on assignment along with several others; she had been left with a scientist and Lieutenant Richards, they were her responsibility. In all likelihood they were wandering the corridors of the compound that they had taken up residence in, but she had told them to stay in their quarters._

_There hadn't been a single sign of struggle, not even a chair out of place, at least not until now. The throne room in which they held court to their disguises was as it should be, save for the dripping that quickly caught Danni's attention as she silenced her own breath to discern where it was coming from. Fear once again coursed through her veins and she knew that something far greater than foul play was afoot. _

_And then she honed in on the sound, her eyes darted to one of the tree sized candelabras towards the front of the room, and the source of the dreadful sound that acted as the heartbeat of the palace. There was but a single candle out of place, but it had no way of being in its current askew position unless someone, or something, had run into it with great force. Danni looked around the room before stepping towards the corner where the tree of light stood glimmering against glittery marble walls in the darkened room. The smoky air filled her nostrils, and the heat from so many flames scorched her skin ever so slightly, and she knew that her skin was becoming rosy from it. But the broken candle, hanging on ever so gently to the edge of its holder, was continuing to drip its wax to the ground; mere feet from a blood stain that Danni just hadn't seen. What she did see was that the yellow hued tallow had but one flaw, but it was enough to set Danni's neck hair on end. A pitch black strand of hair, thick, coarse, and all too familiar. _

_It belonged to a creature they had come into contact no more than a week before. And the creature belonged to a Goa'uld who would stop at nothing for his revenge. _

_A new clatter arose, and Danni realized all too late that her attention to detail had drawn her ears from their duty. Four feet approached, with claws ticking along with them. _

_The footsteps stopped and were replaced by a low and bellowing snarl. Hades had found them. And now his precious pet was doing its master's work. _

_Danni turned, and still was not prepared for the six eyes that stared back at her, rabid with malice. "Ceberus…" She whispered to none but herself. The beast lowered its heads and growled, showing each and every jagged tooth. _

_She was alone, and cornered, by the great Dog of Hell._

"Danni?" Sam peeped into the room, dim with twilight. "Sweetie, are you in here?" She took another few steps and the doors slid shut behind her, but not before she heard the slight sniffle emerge from the corner of the room furthest from her. "Danni?"

The sniffle emerged again, more abrupt this time, and Sam finally was able to see into the shadows as to where it was coming from. Danni was quickly rubbing the back of her hand under her nose, and then her fingertips under her eyes. "Mom? What's wrong?" The girl stood quickly and placed something into the now recognizable box of memories before sliding it under the comfy chair and heading out of the shadows.

"Oh, nothing…are you alright honey?"

"Yeah, Mom, everything's fine. I was just, um…unpacking. I thought you were going to take a nap?"

"That was a few hours ago, Danni. I just came to tell you that your dad and I are having dinner brought to our quarters tonight. Are you ready?"

Danni nodded. "Yeah, sure." She put on a smile all too quickly and began to head for the door. But Sam caught her by the arm.

"Danni, I may not know you as well as you know me, yet, but I'm still your mother. I know something is wrong. Can I at least _try_ to help?"

Danni's bottom lip quivered and she quickly sucked it back under her upper teeth. The sniffle returned along with a pathetic sort of smile. "Can you stay forever?" The little girl that no one else could see was standing before Sam, and she reached out her arms and placed them gently around her shoulders.

Danni fell against Sam as gently as she could, wrapping her arms up under her mother's and gripping her shoulders fiercely with her fingertips.

"Baby, I don't know what to say…you know as well as I do that I can't stay…"

"I know. I know." Danni sobbed. "I just, all that time I was…there…seeing you guys again was what kept me going. And when I finally found you…I know now I have to give you up." Her body shook.

Sam raised her hand and ran it across the back of her daughter's head, feeling the soft curls with motherly affection. "You don't have to give us up you know?" She rubbed her hand across her crown again. "We will _always_ be here for you. We can still come and see you, just…not so much as we'd all like." Sam pulled back her head and Danni did the same so that they were facing each other with tiny smirks. "I mean, we _will_ still be around for at least another twenty years right?"

Danni's laugh had never been louder, or more beautiful to Sam. "Wow, Dad wore off on you fast didn't he?"

Sam joined in her laughter.

* * *

"So…here's to, good times ahead." Jack lifted his wine glass with a quirky grin.

Sam raised her glass of water in response. "To new beginnings." She smiled.

Both faces turned expectantly towards Danni. She lifted her glass, the vessel full of shimmering liquids has her hand tried to hide its slight tremble. "To finding where we were meant to be." She made a half hearted smile and quickly took a sip. Jack and Sam just looked at each other for a brief second. They knew the double meaning of her words. They were finally where they were meant to be, together. But they were also leaving in the morning, to _their_ home, the one Danni couldn't be…at least not the Danni sitting between them. No, the young woman seated at the table was going to remain where she was, where she was supposed to be. They could only pray that she would be happy.

Jack coughed slightly through the bite of food in his mouth. "So D, you'll be happy to know that all the paper work went through." He put his fork down. "But!"

Danni's expression fell. "But? There weren't supposed to be any 'buts'."

"Well, we are talking about politicians here my dear, there's always a but, or a butt, as it were."

"If this involves stasis, or reassignment, or anything that I'm not thinking of at this very moment but would be against, I'm going to run out of this room right now and through that 'gate, and so help me God…"

"Whoa!" Sam's hands were both raised. "It's not that bad." She shot a stern look at Jack who swallowed hard on the grin that had arisen from getting a riled reaction. "You'll be placed, no question there, there's just a question as to when…and it might not be such a bad thing…"

"How's that?" Danni questioned, now practically leaning into her plate for details.

"You're not going to be an actual 'captain' for a year." Sam began. "You'll be called captain, and follow all the steps…you just won't be on the official roster so to speak until you've undergone a year of service. The President's people seem to think that you need a probationary period of sorts to determine if you have been placed in exactly the right area of the Atlantis project, and to determine whether or not your particular brand of military training qualifies you for the program we have today. Which, I know it does, so everything should work out fine." Sam gave an expectant stare.

"So…what?" Danni shook her head and looked towards her father.

"Captain by name, citizen by paper. But only for a year." Jack clapped his hands and leaned towards Sam. "How hard was that?" She bit her lip and looked away from him after a slightly narrowed glance. He smiled outright.

"Actually, this could be a good thing. I mean, you aren't completely in the Air Force…so…you don't necessarily have to follow…some…of the same rules and/or…regulations…" Sam's voice drifted off as Danni began to blush.

"Subtle, Mom." She quipped.

Sam just giggled and took another sip of water.

Jack leaned back in his chair. "I'm so not hearing this."

* * *

Three people stood in the main atrium of the tower. The Stargate was glimmering in the background as they said their goodbyes.

Sam let go of Danni, and ran her hands through the curls that she allowed to hang free in the back. "I love you _so_ much. And I know it's going to be hard, but I will be just a microburst away, okay?" Danni nodded through red eyes. The tears had dried up, but they were still glassy.

Her mother kept a hand on her shoulder as Jack stepped a few inches closer, stared his daughter down, then held his arms open. She jumped quickly into them, finding the place near his heart where a daughter fits so perfectly. Jack held her tighter than she could remember in her entire existence, and Danni felt that even though she had known she was loved as a child, she never had realized just how deeply that love had gone.

"Be careful out there. I don't want to have to drag my old butt out here _too_ often." Jack playfully warned, as he continued to hold her.

"Don't worry Dad, you taught me well. You both did." She peeped at Sam who was holding back tears as well.

Jack finally let go, reluctantly, and raised a hand to her cheek. "I love you sweetheart."

Danni couldn't get the words out well, but even the silent ones were visible on her lips. "I love you too." Jack placed a kiss on her forehead, and he and Sam grabbed her close for one last hug together.

They walked the few paces left to the event horizon, each holding one of her hands. Their fingers slid through hers moments after their faces had ducked into the pool of light. None had wanted to let go.

A slapping of air snapped Danni back to reality.

Danni stepped back from the closed gate. Suddenly she felt alone, vapid. The last link to who she was had just walked through the gate, and she knew in her heart of hearts that her journey had only just begun. Sure they had not been there for those two years that she tried so hard to forget now, but without her parents at this crucial time, she just couldn't comprehend. When she had gone to that place, that time of wrath and suffering, she had always had a light at the end. She knew that if she lived, that she would return, that time would stop and she would awaken as if her past had never happened and her future had never been lived. This was not the way her life was supposed to be. This was not her future. This was her past, and she had no way to escape.

She took a jagged breath, pressed her lips into a tight line and marched away from the gate and up the stairs. Her very presence was so different than that which 'Lizzie' had carried herself with, that the majority of the Atlantis personnel never saw any trace of resemblance in the identical face now framed with tightly pinned back dark hair.

_This is stupid_. She thought to herself and then wavered in front of the door. Why nerves would bother her now was beyond her. Of course, this was her life, her new life, and she had to know. Danni never put off on these sorts of things. When the truth was there, she grabbed it. There was no point denying it. She raised her hand and knocked at the door.

"Enter." The voice was strong but she was not deterred. Lizzie would have been though. She would have lost some of her height, or avoided eye contact when she entered the room, but not Danni. She came in with a speed and grace that could only be a result of time and service.

"Excuse me for interrupting Colonel, but I was told you have my orders."

"Ah. Captain O'Neill. I was under the impression that you'd be taking a bit of a break before you came to see me." He grinned. He actually grinned. Danni's brow furrowed ever so slightly at his reaction but she quickly masked her shock and curiosity.

"Actually, Sir, I'd really like to get to work. As soon as possible."

He motioned for her to have a seat, and she did so, never losing her rigid posture. "Bored already?" He inquired.

"No, Sir…not exactly. I'd just really…I'd like to get to work."

"I can respect that." Caldwell dug into the pile of paperwork growing upon his temporary desk. He was still in command of his ship, and that was enough work without commanding the Atlantis base as well. "Guess you're a lot like your mother…excuse me, I mean…you remind me a lot of _Colonel_ Carter. She was very dedicated to her work as well…of course I'm sure you're well aware of that."

Danni gave a polite smile before responding. "Yes, Sir. Colonel Carter was, is, one of the most dedicated officers I have ever met, I learned a lot from her. But I wouldn't necessarily say _dedication_ is what brought me here."

Caldwell placed the newly found folder in his hand on the center of his desk and folded his hands across it. "Care to elaborate on that statement?" He was still being polite and Danni grew no defense from the statement.

"I'm not supposed to talk about what I did, then. But the truth of the matter is, I don't think I'd _want_ to talk about it even if I was allowed to. I don't remember exactly how much time passed, but it was enough to want to forget. I did my job. It's done. And since no one else _here_ was _there_, and no one else is going to be around to remember it, I would just like to pretend it never happened. I think getting back to quote-unquote normal work may help me put that part of my life…away."

There was a long pause before Caldwell spoke again. "Too many faces?"

"Too many without them." She corrected.


	5. ReBoot

**ReBoot **

_"Nicky?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"What are you doing out here?" Danni's voice called from the archway that stood for a window's view. "It's late…and we have a show to put on in the morning."_

_Nicky let out a bit of a grunt. "I know. Why are you up?"_

_A figure draped in a thin gown appeared from a deep shadow and made its way to the young man's side. He never had turned to face her and still did not as she put a hand around is arm. "Bad dreams." She replied in a simple whisper. _

_He finally turned towards her, but her gaze was lost on the horizon that shown from starlight and a purple hazed moon. When she finally sensed his stare on her cheek she let her eyes flitter towards his. _

_"You've been having a lot of those lately. Still not ready to talk about them?" He saw something catch in her throat as she looked away once more. His finger caught her chin to make her look back towards him. _

_"That…thing. It was in me for all of five minutes and it still feels like years." Tears glittered in the corners of her eyes. "I just didn't expect it to be like this." _

_Nicholas was stunned by her remark. "Why would you have expected anything at all?" She did not respond. "Danni…Grace, why would you have been expecting a Goa'uld to try and…"_

_Her features turned to stone. "I knew, that if it happened, what it would feel like from my parents. I knew what it would do, just like anyone else but...the things it showed me when I was fighting it. That I didn't expect." _

_"What did it show you?" _

_"In those brief moments that it actually had any connection with me…I saw everything I could become."_

_"Danni, you're not going to become anything. We got it out of you. Your body chemistry makes it almost impossible for them to blend with you as it is, and with the Doc there's no way."_

_She shook her head and looked him dead in the eye. "It didn't show me what I would become if I was a host. It showed me what I could become as me." Her words had been soft, but her meaning harsh. Danni's fear of her own abilities was something that had been there since they arrived, but since a Goa'uld had attempted to possess her body and mind, the fear had become something attached to the darkest parts of anyone's mind. No matter what her family and friends knew in their hearts was true about her very soul, no one could convince Danni that with enough provocation and loss, she wouldn't give in. And if she did, she would become something more powerful, and even more sinister than a Goa'uld could ever be. _

_Danni raised a had to her friend's cheek as he stood staring at her, his eyes saying that he loved her and that nothing in the world would change that. Nothing in any world would change the fact that she was a good person. "You need to get some sleep." She whispered, and then headed back inside the palace. _

_"When I'm done watching over you." Was a reply he kept to himself. _

* * *

Following Colonel Caldwell's debriefing, Danni had been sent to the armory to gather her gear and place it in her new locker. A smirk would cross her face when she found it to put her gear away. It was in the women's room, next to Teyla's; some small comfort that she needed. Danni walked around the armory. Nothing caught her eye per say. Some of the weapons were different from the ones she usually carried, and this was going to take some work. Ronon would have been a big help at this point. His taste was closer to her own. In fact, she reminded herself to ask him if he had any spare knives of the concealable kind.

Searching for at least five minutes through the rows of identical guns, cases of alien collectables and new-car-smell vests, she finally found her sidearm of choice, a Desert Eagle. Overkill some would say, but aside from intimidation, it was a sure fire way not to have to expend oneself on more than one shot. The extra kick was nothing she couldn't handle, and the extra weight wasn't going to be an issue either. She holstered it up to get the old familiar feeling on her hip. It was going to take a while. She was trying to jump back over more than two years of not carrying one and several months of being afraid of the damn things. But she felt more like herself. More like Danni than Athena, and far less like Lizzie. She shook her head. How many women were living in her head now? And were they really all the same person like everyone around her wanted to believe?

Knives…she fingered through the boxes and pulled the standard K-Bar and slipped it into its sheath on the back of her belt. Still, she felt naked. There just was not enough weight. Even accounting for a P-90 to take the place of her own submachine gun that wouldn't be invented for another ten years at least, something felt out of place. Her knife wasn't there…something about her jeweled knife being on her leg again…blah blah. Her eyes had glazed over at the response her papers had given and she assured herself that a quick request to Sheppard would probably get it for her. Besides, it would fit under her pant leg. Her own special firearm proof vest was another story. She had it, but it wasn't regulation wear. It would fit under her tank top though. Then there was her ribbon device. Danni held out her hand and waved her naked finger tips. She could live without it. Perhaps, she could even move on.

Walking towards the door she caught her reflection in one of the stained glass windows. A smirk crossed her lips and she couldn't help herself but to utter a quip. "She's…baaaaaaack." Well, almost. The hint of a smile faded into a scowl as she made her way to the women's locker room. She'd meet Lorne when his team got back in two days.

* * *

Danni laid propped up in her bed, laptop poised on her knees. Reports were always something best done at the last minute. It wasn't procrastination she assured herself, but more incentive to get it right the first time. Her fingers flew across the keys getting out the last few details of a rather uneventful first day back. Major Lorne had been watching her closely. Too closely in fact. He was a nice enough guy, but he seemed a little weary to have a woman that looked close to a teenager being on his rather macho team. It would take time for him to get to know who and what she really was. In a way Danni liked that he didn't. In her own time, everyone knew that O'Neill really meant she was an O'Neill. Here and now there was a brief joke over the coincidence and a roll of her eyes when everyone turned away. Wait until they found out she was involved with the boss. That was going to go over great too.

Danni couldn't help but chuckle at that thought as she typed out the finishing touches and her digital signature was added to the report. A quick hit of the 'send' command and the genius internet system of Atlantis swept her report off to Colonel Caldwell. He wouldn't be receiving them much longer though. Rumors were abuzz as to who would be taking his place. Some said Shepherd, but an uneasy feeling and a slight advantage of knowing some of the people who had headed Atlantis made her think otherwise. In fact, she knew it wasn't him.

She reached up and slapped the laptop shut and slid it onto her nightstand. The digital clock read 9:47 pm. Her next mission wasn't scheduled until later the next afternoon. She let out a huff of air and rubbed her hands across her face, the second would hopefully be more eventful in a non-dangerous capacity than today's. There had to be something to do around this place. She eased out of her bed, found some flip-flops and headed to the corridor in a pair of jogging pants and an Air Force tank.

Somehow she realized that she was heading to Rodney's lab, knowing he would be working on something into the wee hours of the morning as he so often did before complaining incessantly about his lack of sleep. Staring at the floor waiting for the transport doors to slide open, she didn't realize someone was stepping out and she walked directly into her new commanding officer.

"Major Lorne! Sorry, sir."

Lorne looked at her briefly, her unruly curls were not braided tightly back as they had been when they met and as they were on the mission and her tank top and baggy sweats were quite different from the black BDUs they had worn as well. "No problem Captain. I'm actually glad I ran into you, or rather you ran into me." He corrected.

Danni gave him a small smile. "How is that, sir?"

"Well, I was looking over the files they gave me on you, and well, they seem to have quite a few gaps."

Danni's eyes grew wide for a second before she shrugged. "I was involved in a lot of classified missions before I was transferred. You know how it is." She tried to step for the transport.

Lorne turned as she walked. "Oh, no I totally understand." He put his hand to stop the transport door as she pressed her desired location. "It's just, this is the most highly classified military operation out there, and yet there's still information missing on you."

A nervous hand scratched at the back of Danni's head. "I'm not sure what to tell you, sir. Some of the information may just not have made it yet. I mean, I wouldn't be here if they didn't trust me."

"Do I need to worry about trusting you?" The look on Lorne's face said he wanted to trust her. There was a kindness lurking in his eyes, ready to accept her, but something made him wonder exactly what was going on.

Danni starred at him for a second before answering. "You have nothing to worry about, sir. I can guarantee you that."

Lorne let go of the door. "I hope so." And with that the transport shut and sent Danni on her way to the lab she had pressed for before being questioned so subtly. Lorne was going to find out. She could tell.

* * *

"Rodney!"

"Danni?" McKay looked over a pile of folders on his desk. "What are you doing up?"

"It's barely ten, Rodney."

"Huh." He began to rummage around his desk. "Could have fooled me. Of course, after dealing with all these incompetents all day, I guess it would seem a lot later now wouldn't it."

"Someone's bitter." Danni mused.

Rodney rolled his head along with his eyes. "Oh ha ha. You try dealing with these people for one day. I would love to see that."

Danni found a stool and plopped on it. "Fine. I'll deal with your nerd patrol for one day and you can be stuck in your own past with no way out and a commanding officer who suspects you on your first day with his team!" She spread a sarcastic smile across her face. "It's so much easier!"

"I'm sure it is…wait a minute, who suspects what?"

Danni sighed. "Lorne. He knows something is up. The reports on me apparently weren't thorough enough. I don't know why they couldn't just tell him right off who I am. It would have saved a whole lot of drama you know."

"Well, that would just be too easy for the higher ups. You know that by now."

"Amen."

"So, aside from a paranoid boss, what brings you here?"

"Wanna watch a movie?"

"Now?"

"No, next Tuesday. Yes, now. I'm bored, Rodney, please!"

"I have calculations to correct."

"Do it tomorrow."

"But…"

Danni put out a pouty bottom lip.

"Fine."

"Yay!" She hopped down from the stool and clapped her hands.

"You could have bothered Shepherd though." Rodney muttered.

Danni stopped in her tracks. "Maybe some other time." She whispered.

Rodney looked slightly confused. "Are you avoiding him or something?"

"Um…no." Danni coughed. "So what kind of movie are you in the mood for?" The two were half way down the hall now. Rodney was beginning to look somewhere between confused and annoyed which tended to be pretty much the same face in these kinds of situations. "What?" Danni asked, knowing he was thinking about something.

"You're not going to give away the ending are you?"

A beaming grin strode across her face for the first time that week. "Excuse me?" She replied with a giggle.

"You realize there will be no new movies for you for over twenty years…so you probably know how they're all going to end…"

"Rodney, while I am a bit a movie buff, I was twenty-four when I left, and I didn't have a lot of time on my hands. I'm sure I'll laugh my ass off at the special effects, especially if it's a sci-fi, but hey…beggars can't be choosers."

"You like sci-fi?"

"Oh come on Rodney, it's like reality T.V.! At least, for us." She shrugged. "Plus they tend to have really hot guys..."

* * *

**A/N: I'm back! And I've got a lot more coming soon, with all my stories (except for Torn....bad relationship karma is making that one a little too close to home right now sorry :() Anyway, this was just to get things rolling. Please Review! **


	6. Something Found

**Something Found**

**AN: From here there will be several references to how things were different with Danni being on Atlantis so AU beginning with Season 4 Missing**

"Hey Teyla." Danni greeted as she sat down beside the other woman now laying on an infirmary cot.

"Hello Danni." She replied somberly.

The younger woman took an awkward breath, much in the fashion of her mother Teyla noticed absent mindedly, then re-gathered herself. "Teyla…I don't know what to say. I can't imagine what you're going through right now, but we're going to find them."

Teyla did not respond other than a kindhearted narrowing of her eyes. It was too much silence for Danni.

"Look, I can't remember anything about this. I swear it. We have to find them; I don't think I wouldn't have heard about it for any other reason…"

"Danni, stop." Teyla cut in. "Neither I, nor anyone else, expects you to be able to recall every event from history. And if I am not mistaken you are not supposed to mention them even if you do. Not even for us."

The 'us' being the team who had become her family was clearly stated, but Danni still wanted to be able to help, no matter how right Teyla was. "I just wish that there was something I could do besides sit around like a bump on a log."

"As do I."

Danni rubbed her forehead. "There I go again, making something about me. Sorry. I'll get over myself soon, I swear." She gave a little smile and earned a small hint of humor from Teyla which was what she had come to the infirmary for in the first place. "Speaking of bumps on logs…" She began and slid of the cot she had seated herself on. "How come you're still here? I just talked to Jennifer to see if I could lend a 'healing hand' and she said it wasn't necessary." An accusing glance and a pout finished her statement.

Teyla suddenly became quite flustered, something Teyla never was. "It is nothing for you to worry about. Dr. Keller would just like for me to rest, and to be sure that I do so in this situation…she had decided to keep me in the infirmary."

Danni nodded while chewing her lip. "I can at least patch up some of those scrapes. Make it easier for you to get some rest." Without further delay she reached out her hand and wrapped it around Teyla's exposed arm, diligently beginning to fix scrapes as her eyes gave of a slight glow beneath her eyelids. Teyla noticed a slight confusion on Danni's face, but hoped it was nothing more than her mind trying to decipher how to heal the small wounds.

Teyla had never been healed by Danni before, but she had heard about the strange sensation of her touch when she mended one's body. The scrapes went from ice to fire and then vanished as if they had never happened. The young woman barely had to graze her fingertips over Teyla's face to wipe away some of the bramble scrapes. When she was done, she sat once more, but this time on the edge of Teyla's bed.

"So were you going to tell anyone?"

Teyla raised her chin in a guarded manner. "Tell anyone what?"

Danni's gaze settled on Teyla's stomach. "I've healed pregnant women before. Doesn't necessarily take more work, but it does leave this strange feeling that you're helping two people, not one, when you're patching them up."

"You can feel my child?"

"I can. And now I get Jennifer's call to keep you in here." The look on Danni's face was hard to read. She was thinking, there was no doubt about it, but what she was thinking about was a hard call.

"Danni, I do not wish anyone to know…"

"I'm not saying anything. Truthfully you haven't even told me." There was still something lingering on her face though.

"I will tell them when the time is right."

"You can tell me then too. Until then, I'll turn a blind eye. But…" Teyla did not like receiving a warning from a person she considered a friend, especially not in a time such as the one in which she had found she was with child and that all of her people were missing. "…if I have to step in to protect my friend, or my friend's baby, I will. That includes protecting the baby from its mother's stubbornness."

"Very well." Teyla replied, not knowing what else would be appropriate to say. Truth be told, Danni was thinking further ahead than she had. The curly headed woman leaned forward, hugged Teyla tightly, then disappeared as she had come.


	7. Unspoiled

**Unspoiled**

**Coming from around the time of "Spoils of War"**

_"Danni, start counting."_

_"what?" Came a grunt as a petite air force cadet reached her chin over the bar._

_"Human!" A close friend hissed under his breath._

_Danni's eyes glided to the instructors who were taking down her soon to be record breaking number of pull-ups. Quickly she feigned weakness in her elbows, shook before she reached the bar, and then willingly slipped loss. She huffed louder than need be as she walked back to the end of the line and Nicky worked his way up to his place. He'd had to remind her on more than one occasion that she would have no trouble passing the physical aspects of the Academy. Fitting in however, may come to be a challenge if she couldn't keep certain heightened abilities under control._

_It wasn't easy for her though. Danni had to pretend 140 pounds was a bit heavy for chest presses, that running 9 miles could actually tire you out in certain kinds of weather, and that the sound of a toe or finger snapping should result in a bandage for more than an hour._

_When they were released an hour or more later, Danni looked no worse for the wear. A little sweat had accumulated on her shirt around the sleeves and neck, but one could not find a single dry spot on Nicky or any other member of their group's clothing._

_"Have you been getting in extra hours?" He questioned nonchalantly, hoping no one would pry into their conversations as so many who found out about their lineage did._

_"No…" She lingered with a someone demanding look._

_"Then what?" He started. "You're having to fake it to keep from being obvious now. How many more could you have actually done…on any of the exercises?"_

_A shutter in her voice showed that she too was concerned for the sake of exposure. "I don't know. I do know that I could go back there and do it all over again, right now. If you hadn't gotten my attention…It's not practice…it can't be."_

_"Well, whatever it is…be a little more cautious."_

_"I know."_

* * *

"And who is this?" Todd questioned in his echoing voice, waving his hand out towards the young woman standing faithfully at Lorne's side.

Danni's mouth formed a tight line as she lifted her chin. The Wraith were still something new compared to what she had always dealt with, and the idea of one being an ally still did not set right with her. Her commanding officer quickly took over introductions. "This is Captain O'Neill. She's a member of my team."

"Ah. Captain O'Neill." Todd smiled in that uncanny way he could. "How nice to meet you, and welcome to my ship." He held out his hand in a scenario so sadistically familiar to one her mother had faced that Todd himself would have been dumbfounded to know the connection. However, unlike her mother, Danni returned the gesture, much to the chagrin of Lorne and a nearby Sheppard, Ronon, and McKay.

"Hey!" Ronon cut in before anyone else could, and before their hands could touch.

Todd just laughed. "This one is either brave…or insane."

Danni twisted her lips in a smile, cutting the wraith short of his laughter. In fact, he cleared his throat to get back on track. Danni had known what she was doing all along. If she seemed the smallest, she was. If she seemed the most likely target, she was. However, she wouldn't have to rely on her special talents necessarily. Not if the wraith in charge suspected the least bit of an instability that could result in his crew's end.

Todd decided walking away as if nothing had happened both suited his personality as well as left the humans feeling uneasy. He may need their help, but he wouldn't make the visit more cordial than need be. There would be no admittance that for the first time in hundreds of years, he felt…unnerved.

"That was…different." Lorne muttered to his second.

"Him or me, sir?"

"Honestly, I'm not quite sure." The commanding officer shook his head and then took to following the wraith.

Danni took this opportunity to walk towards Teyla. "I really don't think you should be doing this." Her eyes were pleading.

Teyla composed herself in a breath before reading onto the control panel of the wraith ship. The others had voiced similar concerns, and in general they were beginning to annoy her. "You do not understand." The faces of her people glittered through her memory. The risk had to be worth it.

"Don't think I don't understand risk." Danni shot back after pursing her lips. Her eyes gazed at the growing child within Teyla before she straightened and marched out of the control room. The others seemed surprised at her reaction but dared not meet her gaze.

AN: Short but a start! Please Review :)


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